Long before report cards are distributed and graduation ceremonies take place, a child’s educational journey begins quietlyin modest classrooms filled with songs, crayons, and early lessons in cooperation and curiosity.
It is within these foundational spaces that Kiambu County aims to secure its future through the proposed Kiambu County Early Childhood Development and Education (ECDE) Bill, 2025. The vision behind the legislation took center stage yesterday during a public participation forum that brought together educators, community leaders, civil society organizations, and child-rights advocates from across the county.
Rather than focusing on legal technicalities, the forum centered on a shared belief: early childhood education is not a peripheral service but a public obligation with significant social and economic implications.
Participants generally supported the Bill, sponsored by Hon. Francis Koina, MCA (Kiambu Township), describing it as a long-awaited step toward formally acknowledging the crucial role early learning plays in shaping society. The session was presided over by Hon. Lawrence Mwaura, MCA (Ting’ang’a), who also chairs the County Assembly’s Education, Science and Research Committee. Under his guidance, discussions combined policy analysis with practical experiences from ECDE centers throughout Kiambu.
As discussions unfolded, it became clear that while stakeholders back the Bill’s objectives, they want to see it enhanced.
Contributors repeatedly emphasized that laws affecting children must translate into practical, enforceable action.
Participants characterized school meals as essential to learning, health, and dignity. For many children, they noted, food provided at ECDE centers may be the most dependable meal of the day. Without clear legal standards regarding meal frequency, portion size, and nutritional quality, stakeholders warned that hunger and inequality could undermine the promise of early education.
They urged the county to establish minimum feeding standards in law and to collaborate closely with nutritionists and public health officials to ensure meals support healthy growth and sustained concentration.
Participants cautioned that unresolved issuesparticularly concerning land ownership and overlapping responsibilities between national and county governmentscan abruptly disrupt learning and undermine a child’s sense of stability.
To address such risks, they recommended that ECDE centers be established on county-owned land whenever feasible.
Where national government land is utilized, they urged the county to obtain clear legal protections to shield learning spaces from future disputes.
They warned that ambiguous lines of responsibility diminish accountability and delay service delivery, advocating instead for a well-defined coordination framework within the ECDE sector.
Participants highlighted the inconsistency of entrusting caregivers with children’s earliest emotional and cognitive development while often compensating them poorly and subjecting them to insecure working conditions.
They contended that meaningful reform is impossible without fair compensation, dignified workplaces, and strategies to retain experienced caregivers.
Bunge Mashinani submitted a memorandum identifying 17 clauses in the Bill that require revision, including a proposal to formally incorporate civil society representatives in ECDE governance structures.
Such inclusion, participants argued, would enhance accountability and ensure community voices remain integral to decision-making.
The organization additionally raised concerns about learner welfare during periods when ECDE centers are temporarily closed or suspended.
Without clear guidelines on learner transfers, continuity of learning, and communication with parents, children risk being left vulnerable at moments when consistency is most critical.
Despite the extensive issues raised, the forum maintained a constructive and optimistic tone.
Stakeholders repeatedly acknowledged that the Bill demonstrates a genuine commitment by Kiambu County to invest in its youngest residents. Their requests were not for rejection, but for refinement.
In his concluding remarks, Hon. Mwaura assured participants that the views shared would substantially inform the legislative process, reaffirming public participation as a cornerstone of democratic governance.
As the ECDE Bill 2025 advances, Kiambu County finds itself at a decisive juncture. With careful amendments and sustained political commitment, the legislation has the potential to do more than regulate early educationit could protect childhood, restore dignity to caregivers, and secure a future shaped not by chance, but by deliberate investment in the earliest years of life.